The phantom disappeared and reappeared diagonally above the passage, where the stone steps were riddled with cracks from the sword strike but still climbable.
The tunnel rustled as vines swiftly retracted from deep crevices into the ground; in the faint glow of magical crystals on the walls, a deep, massive pit became visible.
In the air, a faint breeze stirred, and Wuying, along with the train, quietly followed behind.
The phantom man waiting for Lee Zhinan to ascend suddenly fixed his gaze behind him; an abnormal ripple of air emerged and swirled around him, condensing into a figure.
Wuying and Yang Zicang from the train finally got a close-up look at the formidable phantom figure that had appeared. A flicker of light passed through Yang Zicang’s eyes—this man…
He levitated above the ground; though within his knee-high boots there seemed to be a faint, shifting myriad of stars, their form largely retained a modified style of leather leggings. He wore a form-fitting noble’s waistcoat, its velvety, satin-like fabric rippling gently like waves, fluctuating between mist and solidity, delineating the man’s forged, muscular frame. Yet the design still bore traces of combat vestiges.
Yang Zicang murmured, –Perhaps this man… is the one we’ve been seeking.–
–What? Him?– The moment Robin Lo turned to look at the murmuring Yang Zicang, the phantom-like figure ahead flashed a sarcastic grin.
In Hubville, the crowd watched through the young reporter. Ju Yin Chase, who had already gone to bed, now stood before the rows of protruding screens in his pajamas, frowning at the image of Lee Zhinan, who bore Wang Chaoguang’s face.
–So, it means a psychic artifact with offensive capabilities has been born there.–
–Futown, keep your voice down. Don’t let those outside hear.–
The few people in the room were equally filled with anticipation and tension.
–If we can get our hands on this artifact later, half the city could instantly become our turf. We can’t afford to lose this item.–
Such an artifact was priceless. Once obtained, Ju Yin Chase would not only recoup his investment in the Hubville position this year, but even the losses from the past two years would instantly be reversed. Whoever owned this strategic-level treasure would become the city’s overlord.
Teams interested in it would only increase, never decrease. Ju Yin Chase was restless with anxiety. He desperately wanted to contact his people on the Shibin Wastes to share this news.
But if he actually did that, everyone here would face at least a fine or, at worst, immediate expulsion.
–It would be a real shame if they fail,– the employee said.
–No matter. If they fail, we can still acquire it from friends in Futown.–
–That’s not necessarily true. Those experts know its true value—a mental-type treasure covering several mountain peaks, practically a relic that can dominate the scene. Once they get it, getting them to give it up won’t be easy.–
At that moment, the scene suddenly shifted! Several phantom clones emerged, blocking the front of the cave.
{If he can go up, that doesn’t mean you sewer rats can too! Get the hell out!}
With a wave of the phantom’s hand, a golden glow spread. Lee Zhinan sensed trouble and lunged toward the staircase with a forceful step.
{Let the real descend! Disperse!}
The stone staircase dissolved violently, transforming into raging energy!
This ancient staircase was actually formed by psychic power! Yang ZiCang’s mind felt a sharp sting as his train suddenly materialized and plummeted into the pit.
–Can you hold on?– Robin Lo shouted from inside the tumbling carriage.
[Chime Night!]
Mental energy burst outward from Yang ZiCang.
The surrounding terrain rapidly synced with his telepathic rapport.
In the pit, a golden long sword extended from rippling, jade-like vines—as if alive, it turned from side to side, its blade fixing upon the approaching, warping illusions.
The vines let out a cold snort:
–You actually have such mastery over the Phantom Square, even able to alter the true descent mark left by the ancient angel.–
At this moment, Lee Zhinan was hanging half his body nervously and painfully on the suddenly shattered passage, like someone dangling over a cliff.
He turned his head and glanced at the subway train that had suddenly emerged beside him, along with a figure that had fallen, his heart filled with shock.
Lee Zhinan had no idea that such a monster was lurking right beside him!
The phantom figure floated into the air and sneered at the falling reddish-yellow train:
–Haha, with such meager strength, you dare to scheme for my treasure? You think I didn’t know you were here? Die! And you, old tree spirit, do you know who he really is?–
The vines quivered slightly, and the earlier scene of the wood-nucleus stem-stalk clone being struck down instantly overlapped within them; it immediately recognized that familiar aura within.
–It’s you!–
Enemies met, and their eyes blazed with vengeance. The golden sword drove countless wildly growing vines upward, as if intent on filling every inch of the cave’s space.
–Oh no, we’ve been recognized!–
Yang ZiCang, tumbling inside the carriage, roared out: –Matt Chao, can you still pull through?!–
The tormented train groaned under the ever-increasing pressure in this place, emitting a series of dull roars.
The twisting vines on the tunnel walls and cliffs surged forth like a myriad of swords returning to their master, closing in at breakneck speed, as if weaving a prison cage.
{Ah! Give me Invest!}
With a thunderous roar from Little Matt Chao, a blazing gold-red phantom flared up on his body. Boom! A ferocious gale erupted abruptly.
The moment the vines converged, he transformed into a raging gust of wind, hurtling forward with a whoosh.
The golden sword slanted diagonally.
Thud!
The giant sword unleashed a wild strike in the direction of the train. For the first time, Yang Zi Cang heard the train’s agonized scream. He quickly pulled a crudely forged coin, inscribed with –Heaven and Earth Boundless,– from his pocket and tossed it out.
–Devour it!–
The Chronos attached to it instantly dissolved into the train’s body.
This was crafted by Morris from the ability spheres he provided for Yang Zi Cang, storing up the Chronos earned over these past few days.
{It can hit me… I’m injured.}
Even though he had turned into wind, the Chronos embedded in that strike were not entirely fully manifested on the train, a psionic construct, yet the sword aura radiating from the golden edge still drained six or seven thousand Chronos from the train in a flash.
This plant actually possessed a constant force of creation and destruction similar to Zhao Anlong’s.
–That sword energy must be Star Matter!–
Could mere Star Matter produce an effect of thousands of Chronos on a psychic form?
–It’s infused with Zero-Void Chronos.–
Fortunately, the red glow missed; if it had hit, little Matthew Chao would likely have had his consciousness scattered, becoming an empty vessel.
Shadowless tumbled to the edge of the pit. With mounting panic, he glanced at the vines surging furiously after Yang Zi Cang, his ears filled with thunderous roars. Suppressing his distress, he forced the Moxel ability again, dragging the silhouette of his body in a frantic escape from the cave.
–Damn, I got caught up in that mess.–
Once outside, the man turned to gauge the commotion inside. Thankfully, the vines were occupied chasing Yang Zi Cang with no time for him; otherwise, he’d be reduced to ashes in a single second.
–That thing is terrifying. Yang Zi Cang, you’d better not die.–
Yuan Xuelin and the others, fixated on the scene, were stunned. Though all the bugs were dead in an instant, the erupting aura had radiated across tens of li in a flash, and it was still roiling relentlessly, as if with deafening thunder inside the mountains.
In the observation room of Hubville, a handful of employees, their faces deathly pale, lifted their gaze to the man in pajamas beside them.
–Futown, wh-why are there so many people all of a sudden?–
–It’s not that bad, just, like, three or four people.– Ju Yin Chase wiped the sweat from his brow.
Just earlier, he was lamenting not being able to inform Yang ZiCang, watching helplessly as this treasure might slip into others’ hands—who knew this kid had been skulking close to that person all along.
–Good grief, don’t trip and fall here.– Ju Yin Chase stared at the gale that kept shuddering and swaying inside the cave.
……
Inside the mine shaft, a great sword hacked into the rock wall as the train once again dissipated and vanished. Robin Lo, with a face bruised and battered, asked, –Still holding up?–
Yang ZiCang tossed another glowing coin: –Enough to cancel out a few more times.–
The phantom man materialized at the edge of the large pit, his eyes locked on what lay below.
The vines chasing the whirlwind came to a sudden halt, and the face conjured from wood snarled at the phantom above:
{You brought this on yourself!}
A golden sword stabbed out in a single, fierce thrust.
{You’re insane.}
Amid these words, the phantom was shattered with a bang.
Yet in the next second, it twisted back into shape in the sky, its colors considerably fainter.
{Useless. I flushed your enemy into the open for you, yet you couldn’t even kill him—and now you take it out on me.}
Boom! Another sword attack came slashing in.
Having just climbed onto the shattered cliff path, Lee Zhinan was immediately swept forward by the raging wind, while the path behind him collapsed once again. Chronos had been offset by centuries, trembling and surging ahead in shock—how could he dare to linger here even a single second longer?
Witnessing all this, the bandaged figure sat silently under a lush, thriving tree, gently twirling a dull surgical knife in his hand.
–Jiazi Term?– he murmured to himself.
……
Yang Zicang drove the train alongside Lee Zhinan, having lost 30,000 years’ worth of Chronos principal from mere seconds of being chased by the vine monster.
–Alas, earning time is like moving mountains; spending it flows like water.–
Robin Lo looked at Yang Zicang’s aggrieved expression, knowing that those moves just now had drained the lad of quite a few Chronos he earned these past few days.
The lump-headed Luo Bin consoled him, –Don’t worry, just treat it as late-night health preservation.–
–We should go in now; this might be our only chance.–
He couldn’t afford to wait for Lee Zhinan to re-enter the mountain again—otherwise, he might never be able to get close to that treasure.
Robin Lo nodded in agreement as well. –That phantom is tough. But probably not as invincible as we imagined at its alleged peak state. Those so-called pentagons that flashed in its back then were really just meant to scare you.–
–Yeah. If someone truly believes that he is a pentagonal Moxel and is cowed by the thought, their own strength will be subtly diminished.–
Leave a Reply